We received almost 300 applications from institutions all over the United States, and we evaluated each one based on its scientific significance, approach and methods, creativity, potential influence, and capacity for success. Here are the principal investigators and project titles of each winner, who received research grants that ranged from $168,000 to $338,000. You can read about these researchers and their projects in more detail on our Gratitude Research Grant Winners page. Please also check out the winners of our Gratitude Dissertation Awards.

Sara Algoe, Assistant Professor/Director, Emotions and Social Interaction Laboratory, Department of Psychology, UNC-Chapel Hill: “Unpacking the Mechanisms of Gratitude’s Benefits within Close Relationships”

Naomi Eisenberger, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology/Director, Social and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles: “Giving Thanks: Is “Giving” Key to the Heath Benefits of Gratitude?”

Joel Wong, Associate Professor, Dept of Counseling and Educational Psychology, University of Indiana: “The Use of a Gratitude Writing Intervention With Psychotherapy for Outpatient Clients: Examining Neural Correlates and Psychosocial Mechanisms”